The owner, Mr. Givens, has a bachelor's degree in civil engineering (Valparaiso University), has a master's degree in civil engineering with a major in soils and foundations (Ohio State University), and is a registered professional engineer in Ohio and Michigan. He has practiced geotechnical engineering since 1974 and has managed the geotechnical departments for two previous employers.

Early in his career, he served as a field geotechnical engineer on field assignments in Michigan, Alaska, Iowa, and Texas. Among these were extended assignments during construction of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline (1975), South Texas Nuclear Power Plant, and Midland (Michigan) Nuclear Power Plant and during a large geotechnical exploration for a proposed nuclear power plant in central Iowa.

In addition to the geotechnical explorations performed by Givens Geotech (See Projects), Mr. Givens participated in geotechical explorations while employed by three other companies as a geotechnical engineer, senior geotechnical engineer, manager of geotechnical services, and/or principal geotechnical engineer from 1974 to 2000. These projects ranged from small projects, such as those for an addition to a single-family home or a fiber optics facility, to larger projects, such as eight nuclear or coal-fired power plants in Michigan and Iowa, Breslin Arena (Michigan State University), the Palace of Auburn Hills (Detroit Pistons basketball team), additions to Detroit Metropolitan Airport, Henry Ford Museum railroad turntable (Dearborn, Michigan), Eastern Michigan University Stadium renovation, VA Hospital expansion (Ann Arbor, Michigan), major modification of Jackson (Michigan) Prison, RTA Headquarters (Cleveland), Progressive Insurance (new Mayfield Village, Ohio campus), Hathaway Brown School addition (Shaker Heights, Ohio), and University School additions (Shaker Heights and Hunting Valley, Ohio).